The present invention relates generally to the field of rain gutters, and more particularly to a clip for mounting a gutter cover on a new rain gutter or an existing rain gutter.
A typical gutter system is mounted just below the edge of a roof of a house or building and is used to collect rainwater and direct the rain water away from the foundation of the house or building. Gutter systems are normally mounted generally horizontally, although tilted lengthwise slightly one way or the other, so that the collected water flows through the gutters until the flowing water reaches down spouts. Water flows into the down spouts, directing the water downward and ultimately in a direction away from the house or building.
As water flows into the gutters, debris such as leaves, sticks and pine needles, for example, is often carried by the water flow from the roof into the gutters. Wind and rain can also cause debris to fall directly into the gutters from, for example, trees that extend above the roof. Such debris can clog the gutters and down spouts and thus prevent the gutter system from performing its intended purpose of directing water away from the house or building, causing rainwater to flow over the sides of the gutters. Ineffective draining of a gutter system can cause deterioration of the gutter. In addition, ineffective drainage of rain water from a gutter system may lead to pooling or concentration of water along the edge of the home or building's foundation. Such pooling can lead to structural damage to the building by undermining the foundation, flooding parts of the building, etc.
To prevent debris and other material or items from clogging gutters and/or down spouts of gutter systems, gutter covers or caps have been developed that at least partially cover the gutters and prevent debris from entering the gutter system, or at least lessen the amount of debris that falls into the gutters to the extent that the aforementioned clogging problems are prevented. The prior known gutter covers have included everything from simple screens placed over the top of the gutter to complex devices designed to slow the water flow to ensure entry into the gutter while expelling debris over the outside edge of the gutter. Examples of devices that are designed for this purpose are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,672,832, 4,404,775, 4,435,925, 4,796,390, 5,016,404, 5,216,851 and 5,457,916.
Gutter covers typically attach directly to the gutter using fasteners or clips. Conventionally, gutter clips are secured to both the front end of the gutter cover and to the front wall or lip of the gutter. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a prior art gutter clip 10 which secures a gutter cover 12 to a gutter 14. As illustrated, the prior art clip 10 includes a tab 16 for securing the gutter cover to the gutter. However, this configuration requires a slot 18 punched into the gutter cover 12, which can have numerous disadvantages. For example, the punching operation can result in damage to the cover during manufacturing. Further, the gutter cover 12 is also subject to deformation or damage during assembly of the clip with the cover, as the tab must be properly aligned and inserted into the slot, while also maintaining the correct orientation of the clip for assembly with the gutter. Also, the prior art configuration illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 results in large horizontal and vertical gaps into which debris may become caught. Finally, the configuration of the slot 18 and the tab 16 tends to become loose as a result of the force of rain and/or wind, which can also damage both the gutter cover 12 and the gutter 14.
The present invention relates to improvements over the structures described above, and to solutions to the problems raised or not solved thereby.